


What I Did For Love

by DixieDale



Series: The Enchanted Forest [7]
Category: Hogan's Heroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 10:17:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17445008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DixieDale/pseuds/DixieDale
Summary: When an over-eager Gestapo officer ventures into the forest, danger threatens one of the heroes, and it takes another hero to save the day. But at what cost?





	What I Did For Love

Yes, the thought was with them, always - what if they were seen? Well, Olsen had lived with that a long time, being Hogan's 'outside man'. He'd built up an identify, in fact several, so that most who might catch a glimpse of him wouldn't think anything much of it, but still, there were those by whom it would be dangerous to be seen. Being seen by the Gestapo was ALWAYS dangerous.

Now, Langenscheidt, he was gaining a reputation for being a bit of a dreamer, a wanderer, at least when his duties as a guard at Stalag 13 didn't keep him otherwise occupied. So the sight of him strolling into the forest wouldn't greatly surprise any of the few who might catch sight of him. 

But being seen together? Well, that might have given a few observers pause, even at their most innocent chatting, and anything else, well, that was to be avoided at all costs. Except the cost of not meeting at all, that being a cost which it seems they weren't yet willing to pay.

But when trouble came, it wasn't due to their meeting, was purely coincidental.

It wasn't even as if they had planned to meet. 

Olsen had been doing his 'outside man' thing, but had received the signal that he needed to head back in, be back in time for evening roll call. That was tricky in the daylight hours, but he'd gotten pretty damned good at all this, and had a few tricks up his sleeve.

 

Langenscheidt had been unexpectedly given a few hours off. Well, actually, Schultz had yelled at him "just leave, Karl! You are driving me nuts, more nuts than even Carter and the Englander and all of their monkey business! Just go and do not return until time for dinner! Go, take a walk in your 'enchanted' forest! Perhaps you can come up with a story that will not have your fellow guards jumping at shadows, ya??"

A sleepless two nights in a row had not left the head guard much in the way of patience.

It seems Schultz, along with all the rest of the guards in their barracks, had found Langenscheidt's latest contribution to the camp storytelling a little upsetting. You see, he and Private Brust had started a new story, together. Langenscheidt had started out with a 'chapter', laying the original premise of the story, and then Brust would add another, and then it would be Langenscheidt's turn again. When you considered Langenscheidt's tendency to tell either stories of magic and mystery or else very scary stories, and Brust's preference for stories of a frisky, sometimes even lecherous nature, well, it had gotten very involved and most interesting, since Langenscheidt this time kept switching back and forth, the magical getting more and more magical, and the scary?? Oh, boy!!!

But the finale? Ei, Schultz could foresee nightmares for most of the guards, including himself, for many nights to come. Star-crossed lovers, overcoming many challenges, having many sweet and sexy interludes together, finally winning their way to freedom together by way of a magic spell. Schultz thought the story could have ended there quite nicely, but no, Langenscheidt and Brust, together, had to add the last part. The part where the one lover invites her family in and they have their wicked way with the enraptured other lover, then pleasurably devour him. No, actually devour him, bit by bloody bit.

THAT was what had Schultz ready to tear his hair out over. And the corporal and the private had the nerve to LAUGH as they delivered the last words the woman spoke, "see, I always told you he was as sweet as could be! Now do you believe me?" 

So while Langenscheidt now had a few free hours, there had been no opportunity to let his friend know. He'd decided to just walk in the forest for awhile and see if any new stories came to him. That one with Brust had been fun, but they had deliberately staged that in advance, just to see how far they could go before Schultz put a stop to it. They had been surprised that he had stuck it out to the bitter (sweet?) end.

But now, he was ready for the story to find him, as it more than often did. He had no IDEA what kind of a story would come to him and how quickly.

***

Maybe they would have met, there in the forest, a serendipitous event gifting them with a few precious if unplanned moments together before Olsen slipped back inside the camp. It seems likely, with Olsen being on one side of that clearing and Langenscheidt emerging from behind, shadowed by the trees not ten feet away. 

The problem, of course, was with the Gestapo running squad which was making an uneasy trek into the forest; they didn't like doing that, had heard far too many stories about this eerie place, but their officer, Lieutenant Klemm, had been adamant.

"There have been whispers, and where there are whispers there may just be something else! Just think how pleased Major Hochstetter would be if we found something or someone important!"

His men weren't too sure Major Hochstetter would be so pleased if it was Lieutenant Klemm making such a discovery rather than the Major himself, but arguing with officers was always a chancy affair, one they preferred to avoid.

A shadow, a glimpse, a quick order, and it was quiet no longer.

 

***  
The scene was one of mass confusion, and one Olsen described as he tried to catch his breath in the tunnel. "Gestapo, one officer, three others. I think they saw me, but I'm not sure how good a look they got. I got out of there damned fast, and I could hear a lot of shouting, and some shots fired, but nothing came close, and no one followed me."

"Alright, everyone topside! That's not far from here! If they come checking to see if every one is in place, I don't want anything to give us away. Olsen, get those pine needles out of your hair, and get changed into your uniform and some boots that don't have traces of leaves and moss on them. Move it, guys!!"

Yet, no one showed up to check on them at all, and the resulting feeling of relief was obvious on everyone's face. That relief was perhaps somewhat premature.

***  
Yes, there had been lots of shouting, and some shots fired. Karl Langenscheidt could only thank his lucky stars they hadn't been shooting to kill. His heart had missed a couple of beats when he saw the patrol, also saw Olsen not ten feet away. 

"Please, no!" he breathed, pleading with all his might that what seemed inevitable would NOT happen. There was no good way for this to end if the patrol caught sight of the other man. Olsen could be shot and killed, he could be captured and tortured, he could be identified and all of his friends, perhaps even everyone at Stalag 13 might perish. 

"Please, whatever you need, please???" 

There was, as always, the feeling of someone listening, and then a question, unspoken, but there was no doubt in Langenscheidt's mind of what was being asked.

The forest was still learning, still remembering, but one thing it had recently come to remember was the bargaining, the power of a bargain made and kept. Perhaps it was the drift of knowledge from the old castle, where a recent bargain had been made, kept, and the impossible had become possible.

It remembered, as well, that it was an interesting thing to observe, what a man was willing to bargain for, bargain with, and how well he kept that resolve. It would be interesting to see how THIS man, one of such contraditions, a dreamer, a soldier, would keep such a bargain.

"Yes, my life for his, for his life, his freedom, if need be." 

Another question, perhaps a challenge, hovered in the air, and his answer was just as quick.

"No, I will NOT regret the bargain!"

It seemed as if time stood still, Olsen melting back into the forest, a fog rising to hide him as he moved.

But the Lieutenant in charge had seen the movement and raising his pistol and starting to shout "Halt! Do not run! We have you surrounded!" Well, from Langenscheidt's position he could see that they did NOT have anyone surrounded, but figured the officer thought that would be discouraging to anyone trying to excape. It was discouraging to HIM and he wasn't trying to escape. He had no clear thoughts of what he WAS trying to do, except give Olsen time to get away unobserved, unrecognized, without pursuers.

He found himself moving quickly to a position closer to where Olsen had been, shouting, making an obvious target of himself.

"Stop, don't shoot! What do you want of me??"

He'd let himself be surrounded, his hands high above his head, his most bewildered expression, an almost panicked expression, on his face. Well, the bewilderment was an act, the rest, perhaps not so much. The Gestapo was not good news for anyone, even a German soldier.

In the general confusion, he'd taken a few good hits, leaving him with bruises and a split lip, but for a run in with a Gestapo parol, it wasn't so bad. Luckily for him, or so he thought, his papers were firmly in his pocket, he was stationed so close by that his being in the forest didn't seem totally unexplainable.

Unluckily for him, the Lieutenant wasn't all that happy; he'd been so sure he'd made an important capture, and to find it was just a lowly prison camp guard dallying away some free time didn't improve his disposition. In fact, it seemed he'd determined that Langenscheidt had to be lying, was NOT in fact a guard from the local Stalag, but was someone else entirely, someone who had no right to be wearing that uniform. That was most unfortunate indeed.

 

Roll call came, and a worried-looking Sergeant Schultz counted them off, almost absentmindedly. 

"Reeeeport!" Klink bellowed out, and everyone waited for Schultz to give his usual "all present and accounted for, Herr Kommandant." 

What they got instead was a hesitant, "I beg to report, Herr Kommandant, they are all present and accounted for. Except for the one who is not, but I am very sure there is a good explanation for that. I am sure if we are patient . . ."

"Schultz!!! What are you babbling about? Which prisoner is missing, you dummkopf??!" Klink demanded.

"No prisoner, Herr Kommandant. But Corporal Langenscheidt, I cannot find him! He was to take a walk in the forest, but he has not returned!"

In the back row, Carter cast a quick look at Olsen, standing beside him, watching as all the color drained from his barracks mate's face. Somehow the presence of one Stalag 13 guard (now absent) and one Gestapo patrol, all within the same area, it didn't look good.

Morning came, and they were still short one guard, and Hogan, at the urging of Carter and Olsen and the others, decided it was time to make a push with Klink. He'd not been particularly successful, Klink not being eager to admit to anyone else that one of his guards had maybe deserted. The Colonel had returned to the barracks to give Klink time to digest his arguments before he made another try, but then things were taken out of his hands.

 

Major Hochstetter was fuming. First he'd returned to the news that the upstart and far too ambitious Lieutenant Klemm had found possibly a saboteur, possibly a member of the Underground, and in a German uniform at that. That was both good news and bad. Good news at the capture, but how Hochstetter could claim credit when he had been in Berlin was more questionable.

His mood was not improved when he got a good look at the crumpled figure bound to a chair. Oh, he no longer was eager to claim the credit for this series of events, but how to deal with the results, that was going to be challenging.

Lieutenant Klemm was as puffed up as a peacock, "and he SAID he was a guard at the Stalag, and he even had papers, but of course, I knew differently. I knew he was up to no good! So far he has not confessed anything, has been giving us only nonsense, but he WILL talk, I can promise you that, Herr Major!"

Hochstetter took a long look at the barely conscious man, sighed, "and what is the 'nonsense' he has told you, Lieutenant?"

"Just that, Herr Major, nonsense. A story he has told us, again and again, a fairy tale, if you can believe he would be so foolish! All about a beautiful princess, and evil trolls who threaten her, seek to capture her, a threat that can only be conquered by true love with the aid of an enchantment! You see, only nonsense! I have told him he will regret his actions, and the fool only keeps saying he "will not regret."

Hochstetter walked closer, tipped the man's face back, looked at the other apparent damages and sighed heavily once again.

"It is just as well that he was never a handsome man for I doubt your kind attentions have added to his looks in any good way. And he will not be handling a rifle anytime soon, not with those hands. This, Lieutenant Klemm, for your information, is Corporal Langenscheidt, as I believe he identified himself to you. He is currently stationed at Stalag 13. I am acquainted with him slightly, at least by sight and by reputation; I believe he is known as a master storyteller, one who wanders and dreams up new tales in his off-duty hours. Fairy tales and stories to frighten fools in the dark."

Lieutenant Klemm was stuttering, trying to come up with something to say that would keep his head off the chopping block.

"Bah, just shut up. The question is, what do we do with him? That fool of a Kommandant will most likely kick up a fuss if we return him in this condition, and General Burkhaulter will undoubtedly be most unreasonable."

A cold voice came from behind the two officers, "I do believe you are correct, Major. General Burkhaulter will most ASSUREDLY be most unreasonable. I have a dislike for having Luftwaffe personnel being taken prisoner and tortured by the Gestapo for no apparent reason. Unreasonable, as you say, but what have you."

The men whirled, "General Burkhaulter! I can explain . . ." 

"Yes, Major, I have heard the explanation. I would be quite interested in hearing your solution to this mess your fool has created! Perhaps we should inquire the opinion of Herr Goering? The man is under his ultimate command, after all."

The solution, it would appear, was to drop the whole blame in former-Lieutenant Klemm's lap, pile the still-unconscious Langenscheidt into Burkhaulter's staff car, and direct a complete report be on General Burkhaulter's desk by 09:30 the following morning.

 

Carter was the one looking out the door when it happened. "Colonel! General Burkhaulter at the gate, and, hey, they've got Langenscheidt with them! No one looks any too happy, boy!" There was a long pause, then in a totally different tone of voice, "Colonel, he looks in pretty bad shape; he's not walking on his own - they're taking him right to the Infirmary! Burkhaulter's headed into Klink's office!"

Everyone scurried, some to look out the door or the window, Hogan and Newkirk, trailed by Olsen, headed to Hogan's quarters to fire up the coffee pot.

"Herr General, this is a most unexpected pleasure! I had no idea . . ." 

"No, Klink, you rarely do. And while it might be unexpected, I assure you it is in no way a pleasure. I came to return your Corporal Langenscheidt. He is in less than perfect condition, so I had him taken to your Infirmary. It appears one of the Gestapo officers got rather above himself, took the Corporal into custody for the high crime of walking the forest path. He was perhaps overly enthusiastic in trying to get the corporal to admit that he was someone other than who he was, therefore the necessity for the Infirmary."

A shocked Klink poured out schnapps and heard the whole story. "But I do not understand! If the corporal was in uniform, had his papers, why would the Gestapo even think otherwise?"

"Klink, you are acting as if the Gestapo actually thinks, which I consider a questionable matter entirely, though I will have you shot if you ever repeat that. Even after your corporal became incoherent. they continued their demands, and it seems he started reciting the story he had been developing when they captured them. Having no imagination themselves, even that babbled story of a beautiful magical princess in danger from evil trolls, only able to be saved by enchantment and a willing sacrifice inspired by true love, had no impact. You would think THAT would have convinced them they'd captured a dreamer, not a saboteur, but it seems not!"

"I have not heard that story, perhaps it is a new one. He's always coming up with a new one, you know." Klink seemed to be in shock, that statement coming far more calmly than would be expected. "Hopefully this experience will not make him forget the story; I would like to hear the whole of it."

"Yes, well, perhaps not for awhile. Or at least, he will have to have someone else write them down for him. His fingers will take some time to mend. I doubt he will be of much use to you for now." He looked at Klink appraisingly.

"Major Hochstetter was kind enough to offer to find other occupation for the corporal; however, it seemed unnecessary, perhaps even unwise, to take him up on that offer. Should there be an investigation, it would be unfortunate if they were not able to locate him to give testimony."

There was silence, and the two men, so often at odds with each other, agreed on one thing. It would be most unwise, probably most unhealthy for Corporal Langenscheidt, were that to happen.

"Yes, most unnecessary. I am sure we can find some appropriate light duty for the corporal until he can resume his usual tasks."

 

It was Andrew Carter who sat with Colin Olsen in a dark secluded part of the tunnel system, kept him company while he came to grips with what had happened, what had been sacrificed for his sake. After all, of all the men in camp, only Andrew Carter truly understood. (Well, except perhaps for Sergeant Schultz, but that was another matter.)

And it was Andrew Carter who took turns with Colin Olsen and Private Cedric Davis sitting with Karl Langenscheidt as he recovered, listening to his stories, writing them down, for as Sergeant Schultz had explained huffily, "I am already down one man, I cannot spare another for bedside duty. It is not so much to ask, that the prisoners take turns; they enjoy his stories as much as anyone. I would suggest perhaps the three who seem least likely to agitate him - Sergeant Carter, Private Davis, Sergeant Olsen. In fact, I insist on it; they may manage how they take turns."

Hogan was willing enough, considering if it hadn't been Langenscheidt caught by the Gestapo, it probably would have been Olsen. "We really lucked out there, Olsen. If they were as close as you said, it could have been you they spotted first, and then it all would have hit the fan!"

So it was that Karl Langenscheidt awoke to the presence of Andrew Carter, who quietly explained matters to him. When Sergeant Olsen came for his round of duty, there were no complaints from the invalid. And Private Davis, he grew weary of the routine quickly, but the other two filled in, and no one said anything of his absence.

And over the coming days, there were many stories told, many stories written down, many new stories brought to mind. But the one that became a fast favorite was the story of the beautiful magical princess, threatened by evil trolls, who had been rescued by enchantment, enchantment and a sacrifice given out of true love. Even if, as one rangy Englishman remarked, "it's a bit sappy, but, there's just something about it, ya know?" And Andrew Carter and Colin Olsen just exchanged a quiet smile.


End file.
